AMISOM contributing countries wrap up meeting in Kampala

The leaders of the Troop Contributing Countries have described as unrealistic any attempts to withdraw their troops under the African Union Mission in Somalia or (AMISOM) by 2020 despite a resolution by the UN Security Council.

Leaders of the Trooping Contributing Countries of Uganda, Somalia, Djibouti, Kenya, Burundi and Ethiopia convened a meeting in Kampala to review their operations under AMISOM.

In their meeting, the leaders instead urged the UN Security Council to restore AMISOM to previous troop levels and stay any further reductions.

The leaders contend that the situation in Somalia remains fragile and any withdraw would give the Al- Shabab militants a chance to regain their lost territories from the Somali National Army.

In a joint communique read by Uganda’s foreign Affairs Sam Kuteesa, the leaders unanimously agreed that the Al- Shabab militants still pose a threat to Somalia and its neighbors.Since September 2017 after the UN Security Council resolution, about 500 soldiers under Amisom had been withdrawn from Somalia with the entire contingent estimated to be above 2000 soldiers.